Chapter 276

Chapter 276Previous

Side Story 4 Liloas Chapter 2: Mortus Castle for new novels

Of course, regardless of Josephs plans, Liloa was excited to be able to leave the exhausting Obernyu and head to Sesbron, a cultural centre where nobles from all around the world gather together. Henrietta, her mother, also loved Sesbron and always spoke about how much she missed it.

From then on, Liloa sat by the window every day and imagined the city of Sesbron. All while the moon waxed and waned

***

There was an obvious reason why the people of the empire unanimously praised Sesbron. Even Liloa herself was astounded by the capitals palace, so much so that her jaw dropped. Large and small banquets were held every day, and operas and plays for the emperor were immensely popular. The people were excited and sensitive about the latest trends and exotic styles as if they were competing for extravagance.

The newcomer Liloa heard Sesbron courtiers endless praise every day.

You are beautiful, Miss

You definitely stand out at todays banquet

Even the goddess of beauty will cry with envy when she sees you

Whenever she stood still in the banquet hall, people would come up, observe her, and praise her. Liloa, however, merely perceived them as a bunch of Josephs. Because anyone who came to see her, would first and foremost, check whether she was a worthy bride.

Liloa gradually realised that Sesbron was no different from Obernyu. No one truly cared about her, no one cared what she was thinking or how she was living. All these people were only obsessed with whether she was beautiful, whether she would be obedient to her husband, and whether she would be good at bearing children.

Joseph constantly emphasised in his letters the need to win the emperors favour, and only after Liloa started visiting Annettes salon did she learn why her father mentioned the emperor and never the prince himself.

The emperor was still furious about the early death of his sister, Henrietta, and he blamed the harsh treatment of the Obernyu court. Such thoughts werent false, so Liloa felt a faint bond with the emperor.

Despite the fact that the emperor openly showed his hostility, Joseph I held his head high. Causing the people gathered at salons to chatter quietly.

I wonder if this will lead to the fall of the historic principality. As Obernyu is a royal family with a history dating back to the places name, changing their surname means its extinction

Dont pay attention to all the gossip.

..?

Annette, lying down on a couch, picked up a green grape and ate it. She was Philip IIs only mistress, wearing a white wig with her hair billowing out with an extravagant fondant on top of it.

Liloa was sitting on the chair next to her.

No matter how hostile His Majesty may appear to be, he cannot and will not attack Obernyu. The White Confederation is raging in Pontenbach and he cannot afford to have two battlegrounds. Besides, if we lose the battle with Obernyu, what will happen to the supply of officers and horses? It will result in us being unable to train the Karabinae unit, and we cannot let that happen. That is what is making him so angry

I have heard that it isnt that rare for noble families to fall, but to think that even an old, established family like the Mireilles was on the verge of extinction due to debt And even now, the rumours going around the capital about them are no small feat

There is no debt left at all now.

How come?

Look at your cute face. Yes, I know what you are curious about, and I will give you the answer. The current Duke, Ren Mireille, personally took over the management of the ruined business. Sesbron was turned upside down when the news came out, no one could believe that the head of a prestigious ducal family would position himself as a sleazy merchant. But I was different. I was so amused that I even bought some of the Garni top bonds*. Why you may ask? Well, the current Duke has an unusual resourcefulness to him

Annette

Annette lifted the fan that covered her mouth.

The attention subtly focused on the unmarried prince and duke. Annette, still stretched out on the couch, lazily held out her hand holding her fan.

Robero.

While the two men took turns and kissed the back of Annettes hand, Liloa was rather amazed by Sesbrons tendency to allow such a close relationship between the empresss children and the mistress. Nonetheless, she held her breath because she didnt know what political intentions there might be.

Robero looked at Liloa and patted Mireille on the shoulder.

Liloa. This is the Duke of Mireille.

Mireilles impression was extraordinary. His hair was so light that it almost looked white.

Ive heard that people in the central and southern regions sometimes can have hair that colour, but this is the first time seeing it in person.

It was said that the more the colour faded from blond, the more unique it was. That was also the reason why flour-sprinkled white wigs came into fashion or why someone like Mireille, who has natural white hair, was so popular at the royal court.

Hello, Miss.

Footnote:

IOU: An IOU, a phonetic acronym of the words I owe you, is a document that acknowledges the existence of a debt. An IOU is often viewed as an informal written agreement rather than a legally binding commitment. Dating as far back as the 18th century, at least, IOUs are still very much in use.

Bond: Bonds are issued by governments and corporations when they want to raise money. By buying a bond, youre giving the issuer a loan, and they agree to pay you back the face value of the loan on a specific date, and to pay you periodic interest payments along the way, usually twice a year Bonds will typically pay a regular income to the investor through interest payments while shares usually offer more capital growth with the possibility of income from dividends. Bonds are usually less risky than shares.